Fire-alarm signal system.



B. 'B. HATCH.

FIRE ALARM SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JULY 15,-19oa.

s /y l l. W LIIIIiIalllllililllllllllllll* Z0 y winas'ses l Inventor YM #ATOL 74mg? tmrney B. B. HATCH.

FIRE ALARM SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY15, 190s.

Patented Apr. 6, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wifnesses UNTE STA- TES BENJAMIN BQ HATCH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

yFran-.ammira SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. April e, 1909.

Appication filed July 15, 1908. Serial No. 443,729.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN B. HATCH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the. county of. Suil'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new or city fire alarm system or by direct connection to the central oilice or fire station,-

and means by which a local alarm of fire can be sounded in or about vthe premises where the apparatus is located for the purpose of lire drill or quick exit from the premises, the system being suchv that it is impossible to transmit. an alarm lof fire without oper ating the local system but'so arranged that the local alarm system may be operated without causingan alarm to be sent to the tire department. The system is also so arranged that whenz the apparatus is being used to give a local alarm or drill signal that portion relating to the town or city tire alarm system is made proof against accidental or malicious interference.

My system in its best form is a closed circuit system with an alarm bell o r signal so arranged that failure of battery, broken or crossed wires or disarrangement of signaling mechanism will cause a disar.. ange- .ment signal or indicator to be operated. At

present in ap aratus for giving both alarms simultaneous y or the local alarm separately :L

the various parts .of the apparatuspertaining to both thelocal and main signal operr ating membersv are exposed so that when being usedfor local al'arm'or drillpurpose's lit is easily possible throughaccident or'otherwise to send in a needless alarm tothefire' department; This, my invention, 'absolutely prevent'sas the opening of the cover or'door of the local box giving access to the Alocal Afire signal renders that portion of the apparatus connecting with .the fire department inoperative.

A feature of my invention is the meansfor automatically indicating that the battery or batteries of the system are out" ofnormal condition.'

Other features will be pointed out below. In the drawings Figure 1 is a diagram of my ire alarm system; Fig. 2 is a front elevation partly broken away of one of the bxes hereinafter described; Fig. 3 is a side View of the box shown in Fig. 2 partly in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4: is

a partial section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

and Fig. 5 's a Fig. 6 is a section on line 6--6 of Fig. 2.

Box A set in a recess in the wall B of the detail of a modification.

building has fastened toit and forming part of its front wall a ring a from which ashelf a projects back into `the box. Pivoted at a?, to the ring a is the cover or door a3 in which is rotatably mounted the handle at carrying at its inner end a Wing a5 which engages the inner the door in itsk closed position. the handle and moving the wing a5. toward nthe middle-of the door the latter can be Pivotally mounted attreed and opened.

c to the door a3 1s an arm a7 projecting into a compartment as formed inthe door 0&3.v `The front wall a9 of th1s compartment is a pane of glass. The` arm a7 constitutes the main signal circuit operating member.V

Preferably the compartment as is closedat its'rear by a partition or wall am whlch shuts oli from view the interior of box Afso that only the arm af isvis'ible from: the front side of the ring a tohold By rotating of the box when they door oncover is filosed.

Back of the partitiona10 is an arm anwhich is integral with the hulo-mfainl `nffso that it ci nstitutes a ,part 'of .themain signal. circuit operating member. `This arm a," 1s "made near its extremityy and upon -its rear' side with aflip a1? on an arm a normally projects.

member and formspart of the usual' local signal circuit operating being fixed to the shaft@15 ofv lthe boxA. When analarm of tirev is to be given the pane of ber a7 is depressed and then released. The downward movement of .the arm a occasioned bythe 'depression of the member a7 carries thev member al* 'with itv thereby setting the loca-l signal box Ain operation,

am into the path of which a stud. i arm a is the local signal circuit operating glass isv lbroken out and the .mem'

box A', said arm the usual spring within thebox A serving to restore the members 0414 and a7 tonormal positiona'gain. c The hub ofthe member aT is'made with a pair of lugs @1 6 which embracea lip a on an arm 01,18 fixed to a shaft als that is journaled in the' shelf ai.l The other end'of the shaft-a1" carries an Aarm a2 provided with a stud a21`coperating'with one of the contacts of a `switch 0,22. VThe switch L22 is in'the main signal circuit vso that when member a7 is depressed` .as .above described the lugs d10`-acting through arm' als, shaft am, arm 02 and' stud'a2.1 serve to close the switch w22 and thereby operate the main signal circuit. It will thus ,bev seen that when the member ai is operated with the-cover a3 in its closed position the-meinber a is alsooperated and thereforeboth the main'signal circuit and the vlocal signal circuit are operated. The pintle a2 lon which the door a2' is hinged and which turns with said door has fixed to ita bolt in the v'form of a disk o23 made with a notch a2? which isin the path of arm al? so `longas .the door 0,3 lis closed so that` the arm als is then free to be operated by the lugs al on the'hub of member ai. -Whene'ver, however,

lthe door 0:3 (is vopened or not entirely closed' other arm of the bell 'crank a2 carries a' stud 02S cooperating with one of the spring' members of a switch 029. When the door a3 is in its closed position the notch 0.2"* permits a spring03 to hold the bell crank a2 in such position that theswitch a2 is closed but when the door 03 is open and the notch` L25 is shifted away from the arm ofthe bell crank a2 the disk' L23 acts as a am to operate bell crank a2 and thereby open the switch a2". The switch 02". is in the disa'r lrangement signal or indicator circuit and it will therefore be seen that when the door is opened this indicator circuit will be opery ated.

The wall. of the box A is made with an opening L31 which registers with an opening Vfctin the bolster lring 433 arranged between the outer projecting edge of the ring c which forms part of the front of box A and the wall B of the building. The opening A c022- is tapped to receive the end of a pipe as? through which and openings @31 and @32 wires of the system are led to the interiorof box A to be connected with the switches'a'2 and L29 as well as to the switches of the local boXA.

As herein shown' the system when in norinal- Conditionv includes two normally closed other circuit is. depleted or when the other circuit is not in normal condition. 2 One ofv .these circuits is traced as follows :-From one pole of the'main batterv Z through wires 0', and 0 to one -of the uslial pair contact-s 012 in box A `at one of the stations of the building, from the contact v011 through .wires 02and` 03 to the contact 012 of the box A` of the-next station. From the boXfA ofthe last station through wire '04; a magnet Y, and wire 0"'to va Contact 013 that cooperates with the contact 012 of the last :f sa tion, `from Contact cl3 ofthe last station through wire '06. to the contact '013 of thev next to the last station. From the first station this circuit continues through wire 07 to f the usual releasing magnet g of the signal or gong G' of the first station and thence through wire 0"l Ato the releasing magnet g of the next station, and from the 'releasingv 'magnet g ofthe last station through wiresc" and 01 back to the other pole of battery Z..

The magnet Y normally holds its armature ,1/ out of engagement with a contacty/ but 'as will now be clear, if the circuit ust traced is cgenedat any point or if the vbattery-Z vbecomes exhausted then the armature g/ will into engagement with. contact y" droo tl'iereby'closing an' indicator circuit which is traced as follows Froinone pole of asup.- pleinental battery Z through wire b to contact y, through varmature y, wire y2; an indicator or signal Land wires .1/3 and 0?". back to battery Z. The other vnormally closed disarrangeinent circuit istrafced as follows z-lf'rcin battery Z through'wires l) and 7). to `a magnet X; through wire 52, .switch U2, and wire 713 tothe usual detector switch g" ot the last station, said switch being` vcontrolled according to the condition of the operating spring of the gong of that station as rsu-al.V From this switch g the circuit continues 'through wire 7)", switt-,h a2?, and Wire 7) to the-detector switch g of the next station and so on to the switch g of the first station. lhe switch g of the llfirst station is connected by a wire with one of the contacts of the switchva22 of said station whereof the other contact, as described above, is con.-

nected with wires c and 0. From switch Q22 the circuitcontinues through wire 57 to oneof the contacts of the switch L22 of the nent station whereof the other contact, is connected with wires 02. and '03. The switch (122 is transmitted to the. lire department,

v`he`VA meinber.. 245 the top of Fig.- 1, then a circuit-is closed of the last station is connected. lb a wire '25S an o eratino' member for the main sional with one -end of the coil of the usual trip y magnet V-Vwvhich controls the mechanism,

not Shown, through which the alarm signal The other end of the coil of magnet W is connected'by a wire b" with the wire c1 leading back to battery Z. Thr magnet X is; as will no wbe clear, normally energized and therefore `holds its armature out of engagement with a contact w. When, however', the circuit just traced is opened at any point magnet X 4is denergized and drops its armature on` to contactai therebyclosing a circuit that is traced as follows'zFrom an interninediate portion of battery Z through a wire .f1/:2, armature fr; Wire y2, indicator Le and wires y and c1 back to battery Z.

lVhen the door ai of any one of the boxes i fris opened the bell crank FG opens switch .29 of that bci-x and thereby operates indicator l.- It the member 'of of any .one of the boxes. A, is 'erat/'edr safy "ffif'iexamplefthe station shown at through the trip magnet W which is tracedv as followszaFrom battery lZ through wire fto the lower contact of switch L22 of saidstation and from that contact through the upper contact of said.s vvitch, Wires o7 and bs, magnet Uand wires and 01 back to battery Z. The lifting ofthe armature ofma'gnet W acts as usual to releasethe' mechanism; not shown, which transinitsthefire V3 5 alarm signal to the tire department. As ex-V plained-above, it4 a7 is perated while the door vof the box is closed, it operates the member am and thereby sets the box A in' operation. This box is constructed as usual 40 with. a spring driven wheel 01t which 'operates the contact c to make and break 4connection between (#12 and c1 and thereby opcrate' the local signal circuit, or in other 'words the circuitof the gongs G. "This cir-v u'cuit' is traced as follows':-From the bat-Hr tery Z through Wires c and c tol contact cl2,

Contact @13, wire c7; the magnet y ofthe gong of thev first station, wirecs, the magnet g'. of -the gong of the next station. At the last Q station 'the circuit continues vfrom themag-Y net g through wires c and c1" bacl to battery Z.- Thus it will be seen that when thev door i? et one or the boxes is'opened and the member @im oi' that box operated the indi,- '55 cator l gri/ies a continuous signal and gongs G are ope@ ted, and also that when the door; is not opened and thepaiie a is broken`andthe member a7, operated then the indicator' 1I is operated intermittently to give a fire .'60 lalarm as well as the goiigs Gr..y

'l/Vliat I claim is: n .A fire alarm signalisystem comprising v a mainsignal circuit; allocal signal circuit;

circuit; an operating member for the local signal circuit; a box within which the operating' member for the local signal circuit is arranged; a movable cover for said box i'iorinally renderingl member inaccessible; and means to prevent operatioii ott-he main signal circuit when .the cover is ope-ned,

a main signal circuit; a local signal circuit; .an operating member for the Vmain signal signalcircuit; box Within which the operating member for the local signal circuit is arranged; movable cover for said box normally rendering Ithe local signal circuit member inacessible; means to prevent operation of the main signal circuit when the cover' is opened; a local indicator circuit; and meaiisfor operating the indicator circover; a main signal circuit switch; and means cont-rolled by the cover to prevent the opened.

it. 'In a scribed the combination of a cover; a main signal circuit operating member on the cover; a switch operating member within the box with which the main signal circuit operating member cooperates when the cover is closed7 said main signal circuit operating 'tion to said switch operating member when the cover is opened; and means to lock the switch operating member in normal position when the cover is opened.

5. In a fire alarm'box of the character described the combination of a cover for the front by a destructible panel; a main signal lci'rcuit operating member mounted within said con'ipartment; a switch operating member within the box with which the main Vsignal.circuit operating member cooperates when the cover is closed, said main signal circuit operatingmember being shifted out' oit' operative relation to said switch operate' .ing member when the cover-is opened.

(5.1 ln a fire alarm box of the character described the combination of a cover hinged to thebox; a switch operating member; and ya boltcarried bythe cover vfor locking said {switch member against operation when the cover; is opened.

7. Ina vfire alarm box of thecharacter described.l the combination of a cover hinged to the box; a lswitch operating member; a bolt carried bythe cover for locking said 2.' A fire alarin signal system. comprising cuit when the cover is opened.- v fl s afre alarm box of the character described j*in combination* with a movable operation ot' lsaid switch when the cover is.l

fire alarm box of the character de-v member being shifted out of operative rela.

box made'witli a compartment vclosed at its the local signal circuit 1 circuit;an opeiating member for the local" switch lmen'iber against operation when the cover is opened; and an indica-tor circuit switch operating member nperated by Vsaid boit.

8. in a system of the character described A,the lcombination of a main signal circuit; a

battery in that circuit; an indicator; means 4 controlled by but having a source of power condition of said' circuit is changed from' normal; and means to operate the indicator Controlled by Said independent source of power but operated by the battery of said main signal circuit. y

BENJAMIN B. HATCH. Witnesses: d v M. G. Hmxss, Gr. A. ROCKWELL. 

